Armen Ashotyan

Armen Ashotyan, vice chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia, held a protest outside the European Union mission in support of 18-year-old Davit Minasyan and issued a statement in his defense. The case stems from an incident inside St. Anna Church on Palm Sunday involving Nikol Pashinyan and members of his security detail. Following the incident, Minasyan was placed in pre-trial detention for two months.

Armen Ashotyan, Vice President of the Republican Party of Armenia and Minister of Education and Science from 2009 to 2016, remains one of the most outspoken critics of Nikol Pashinyan. Although under court restrictions, he continues to engage actively in political debates, focusing on democracy, justice, and the role of the opposition. In this interview, Ashotyan discusses how modern authoritarian regimes, including Armenia, use non-violent but highly effective tools to silence dissent. He argues that Pashinyan openly dismantles constitutional checks and balances and misuses administrative power not only against political rivals but also against independent voices from the Church, the Diaspora, and wider society. He speaks candidly about political prisoners, the fractured opposition, and growing concerns over justice. Watch the full interview for his unfiltered perspective.